Abstract
When lymphocytes and macrophages from human milk were cocultured, significantly greater amounts of IgA and IgM were found than when lymphocytes were cultured alone. To determine whether the breastmilk macrophage was regulating lymphocyte synthesis or itself releasing imunoglobulin, we cultured macrophages and lymphocytes from the fresh milk of 33 healthy mothers. The cellular components were isolated by centrifugation and the lymphocytes separated from the glass adherent macrophages by overnight incubation in glass flasks. The release of IgA, IgM, and IgG into 1 ml of culture media by 2×106 lymphocytes or macrophages was quantitated using double antibody radioimmunoassays. In 7 day lymphocyte cultures mean IgA, IgM, and IgG released was 358, 46 and 11 ng/ml respectively. Mean IgA, IgM, and IgG released in macrophage cultures was 9089, 319, and 9 ng/ml respectively. To determine whether the immunoglobulin present in macrophages from 6 mothers were both cultured for 7 days and on day one sonicated. Sonicates were ultracentrifuged and immunoglobulins in the supernatant and pellet were measured. The immunoglobulin content of the supernatant following sonication of macrophages was significantly greater than both that bound to the cell pellet (p < .05) and that of the 7 day culture(p < .05). These data indicate that the breastmllk macrophage releases significantly more immunoblobulin than does the lymphocyte (p < .02) and that it may serve as a transport vehicle capable of delayed immunoglobulin release.
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Pittard, W., Polmar, S. & Fanaroff, A. THE BREASTMILK MACROPHAGE: A POTENTIAL VEHICLE FOR IMMUNOGLOBULIN TRANSPORT. Pediatr Res 11, 492 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197704000-00731
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197704000-00731